Thursday, October 05, 2006
ALL THE BUILDERS TOOLS WERE SILENT
The following was written by John Grant, former Florida senator.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16).
The marketplace is empty, No more traffic in the streets, All the builders' tools are silent, No more time to harvest wheat; Busy housewives cease their labors, In the courtroom no debate, Work on earth is all suspended As the King comes thro' the gate.
Elaina's factory in Ancuncion, Paraguay was different than most and I could tell something was different as I walked through the door. It was clean, calm and orderly. The workers were polite and their faces projected a glowing smile. We were there to go to church.
Go to church? In a factory? It seems that Elaina, a committed Christian who believes in sharing her faith and treating her workers well. She also is interested in maximizing her profits. She has found a way to do all three.
Her factory makes clothing, beautiful clothing from bolts of cloth, but for fifteen minutes each work day and for a full hour one day of each week, the sewing machines are silenced and the cutting tables idle, as all the workers gather for a time of worship, praise and receiving instruction and inspiration from the Word of God. It is a beautiful sight to see.
We enjoyed fellowshipping and worshiping with them. I was invited to bring a short devotion and as I stood behind the microphone and looked out over the audience, out of one eye I saw attentive faces ready to grasp each and every word and out of the other eye, I saw rows of silent machinery.
Suddenly the lyrics of that popular Christian song, The King is Coming came to mind, especially the line about all the builders tools being silent. I thought of Psalm 46, "Be still and know that I am God." You could have heard a pin drop. People were reverent, machines were silent and they were ready to have church, and Elaina was sitting right there on the front row with her workers.
God calls us to be still, to be silent and to worship Him. At the end of the day Eliana's workers produce more though they take time out of the day to worship and pray. It reminded me of the wood cutting riddle about two wood cutters who chopped wood for a whole day. One never stopped. The other stopped for five minutes each hour and he was the one to chop the most wood, because each time he stopped, he sharpened his axe.
When we stop to worship, God honors our reverence to Him and at the end of the day, we are better off because we have stopped to be with Him.
Do you take time to worship and pray each day? If you don't give it a try and see what great things happen in your life. God honors you as you honor Him.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16).
The marketplace is empty, No more traffic in the streets, All the builders' tools are silent, No more time to harvest wheat; Busy housewives cease their labors, In the courtroom no debate, Work on earth is all suspended As the King comes thro' the gate.
Elaina's factory in Ancuncion, Paraguay was different than most and I could tell something was different as I walked through the door. It was clean, calm and orderly. The workers were polite and their faces projected a glowing smile. We were there to go to church.
Go to church? In a factory? It seems that Elaina, a committed Christian who believes in sharing her faith and treating her workers well. She also is interested in maximizing her profits. She has found a way to do all three.
Her factory makes clothing, beautiful clothing from bolts of cloth, but for fifteen minutes each work day and for a full hour one day of each week, the sewing machines are silenced and the cutting tables idle, as all the workers gather for a time of worship, praise and receiving instruction and inspiration from the Word of God. It is a beautiful sight to see.
We enjoyed fellowshipping and worshiping with them. I was invited to bring a short devotion and as I stood behind the microphone and looked out over the audience, out of one eye I saw attentive faces ready to grasp each and every word and out of the other eye, I saw rows of silent machinery.
Suddenly the lyrics of that popular Christian song, The King is Coming came to mind, especially the line about all the builders tools being silent. I thought of Psalm 46, "Be still and know that I am God." You could have heard a pin drop. People were reverent, machines were silent and they were ready to have church, and Elaina was sitting right there on the front row with her workers.
God calls us to be still, to be silent and to worship Him. At the end of the day Eliana's workers produce more though they take time out of the day to worship and pray. It reminded me of the wood cutting riddle about two wood cutters who chopped wood for a whole day. One never stopped. The other stopped for five minutes each hour and he was the one to chop the most wood, because each time he stopped, he sharpened his axe.
When we stop to worship, God honors our reverence to Him and at the end of the day, we are better off because we have stopped to be with Him.
Do you take time to worship and pray each day? If you don't give it a try and see what great things happen in your life. God honors you as you honor Him.
Name:
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home